A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Monday, July 15,
2019
This open wagon has been a daily sight on Kraybill Church Road, where we live, since the weather has been very warm and sunny. Just ahead on the left is the original Kraybill Church (now part of the school) which sits across from Kraybill Mennonite Cemetery (which you'll see in a lower photo).
"A Lesson From
Onions"
Message
summary: Today
let us make a
fresh declaration
that we won't go
back.
Listen to our
message on your
audio player.
"We
remember the fish
which we used to
eat free in Egypt,
the cucumbers and
the melons and the
leeks and the
onions and the
garlic" (Numbers
11:5). "Would it
not be better for
us to return to
Egypt?" (Numbers
14:3).
My earliest memory
of onions was being
worried about my
Mom. I just couldn't
understand why she
cried when she cut
up onions! A crying
parent, especially a
father, is a source
of distress to
children.Onions are grown and used all around the world. They were taken to North America by the first European settlers who discovered the plant was already in wide use by Native Americans. According to diaries kept by the first English colonists, the bulb onion was one of the first crops planted by the Pilgrim fathers.
I
don't recall liking
onions as a child
but I acquired the
taste as I grew
older and now like
to add onions on
just about
everything but
dessert. The photo
to the left shows a
breakfast being
prepared at a men's
campout in the
mountains. We
usually have eggs,
pancakes, hash
browns with peppers
and onions, bacon
and sausage. It's
especially good
cooked over the open
fire.Onions are
reported to have
numerous health
benefits including
improved vitamin C
production, reducing
inflammation,
regulating blood
sugar, and
preventing certain
cancers.
There's
only one reference
to onions in the
Bible which is our
daily text, so let's
see what lesson we
can learn from it.
Onions are among a
list of dietary
items the recently
delivered Israelites
missed from their
days in Egypt. Bible
scholars have
determined that
specifically they
missed the Bloomin'
Onion appetizer from
the Egyptian
Roadhouse (just
kidding of course).Keith
Green was one of our
favorite musicians
as young Christians
in the late
seventies and early
eighties. He had
been an up and
coming rock musician
in the early
seventies when he
made a 180-degree
turn to follow
Christ. His ministry
called the church,
especially young
believers, to solid
commitment to
Christ.
One of his albums was titled, "So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?" Egypt, as most of you know, was the country where Moses led the Israelites out of in the Exodus. But incredibly some of them wanted to return to Egypt (see Numbers 14:3). This was initially a literal desire in spite of their bondage while in Egypt and the horrible conditions they were delivered from.
One of his albums was titled, "So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?" Egypt, as most of you know, was the country where Moses led the Israelites out of in the Exodus. But incredibly some of them wanted to return to Egypt (see Numbers 14:3). This was initially a literal desire in spite of their bondage while in Egypt and the horrible conditions they were delivered from.
In Keith's
song he sees Egypt
as representing the
old way of life that
seeks to draw the
believer back to
their life before
Christ.
The
traveling
accommodations got
really tough for the
Israelites in the
wilderness. Theirs
was a very hard and
long journey to the
Promised Land. Can
you imagine
traveling and
camping daily with
ten children in tow,
along with all your
belongings and
cattle? If you've
taken a trip across
the country in a
vehicle with several
children you know
the stress it
brings; children
fussing, diapers
needing changed,
others pleading,
"Are we there yet?",
only to have a flat
tire along the way.
Imagine
how much harder it
would be to be
walking the journey!
In the process of
heading to the
Promised Land a
spirit of discontent
and complaining
arose among them.
The Israelites had
selective memory,
forgetting all the
pain and abuse in
Egypt but recalling
only the pleasant
memories. The good
things were yet to
come but they
weren't experiencing
them yet. They
surely wondered if
the food which they
remembered from
Egypt wouldn't be a
part of their diet
later.
But they
set their hearts and
minds along with
their appetites on that
which they didn't
have at the
present time, and
this led them to
complain about the
manna, a miraculous
provision which they
had grown weary of.
We are
also on a journey,
as the old hymn
states, "Bound For
The Promised Land".
The way will be in
varying degrees
tough. We may also
have a selective
memory problem and
the old life may
look good. (In our
personal observation
this diminishes the
farther along you
are on the journey.)
The urge to go back was also expressed in John 6:66 as "many of His disciples" abandoned the cause and turned back. "From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."
Jesus asked the Twelve, "You do not want to leave too, do you?"
Outspoken Simon Peter speaks for all the Twelve, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."
The urge to go back was also expressed in John 6:66 as "many of His disciples" abandoned the cause and turned back. "From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."
Jesus asked the Twelve, "You do not want to leave too, do you?"
Outspoken Simon Peter speaks for all the Twelve, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."
Today let
us make a fresh
declaration that we
won't go back.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Jesus, You
alone have the
words of
eternal life.
Like Simon
Peter, we have
come to
believe and to
know that You
are the Holy
One of God. As
believers we
are bound for
the Promised
Land, but we
know the way
is not for the
faint of
heart. Some go
through the
fire, some
through the
flood, some
through the
water but,
because of
Jesus'
sacrifice on
the cross, we
all go through
the blood.
Help us not to
get distracted
or be deceived
by the devil's
allurement
back to the
old way of
life before we
made You the
Lord of our
lives. In
Jesus' name we
pray. Amen
Last
week we bought
several candy
onions and are
hanging them
to dry.
Saturday
evening
Brooksyne made
me a BTO
sandwich. She
makes it extra
special
tasting with
basil
sprinkled on
the onion and
tomato, along
with pesto
spread with
the mayo. At
this time of
year the basil
plants are
overflowing
with leaves so
it's a good
time to make
several
batches of
pesto which
she freezes
for later use.
We shared this photo last Friday and it was further musing after buying the three onions from this farm in the photo above that prompted today's message.
Another
neighborhood
view from
Saturday
afternoon
which shows
the Kraybill
Mennonite
Cemetery. I
(Brooksyne)
walk by this
cemetery
several days a
week with the
three dogs in
tow. When I'm
alone I take
time to read
the tombstones
and am finding
I know more
and more
people buried
there. A few
tombstones
date back as
early as the
1700's.
Several
weeks ago we
shared a photo
of our 17 year
old carpet
that Ester
helped remove
from our home
office while
Brooksyne was
at Joni &
Friends
Retreat. Last
Saturday a
friend, Luis,
installed the
new laminate
flooring.
Ester took
this photo
about 1/2 way
through. Next
week we will
share a photo
of the
finished
project since
there's still
some trim for
Luis to
install.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"So
You Wanna Go Back To
Egypt" Video
Keith Green "Eating
leeks and onions by the
night, ooh what breath but
dining out in style"
"Faithful To
The End" Video
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
This song is dedicated to
Julie Heitz and her
children. Yesterday
afternoon we attended her
husband Tim's funeral. We
referred to Tim several
times the last six months
following his diagnosis in
January with ALS. A pastor
friend, by Tim's request,
preached the message at his
funeral. Tim told Pastor
Shearer, "I want you to make
the people jealous of where
I am".
Check out this new
casting Crowns song
"Nobody" Video
"I'm just a nobody, trying
to tell everybody, all about
Somebody who saved my soul"
Finally today:
Yesterday
I saw this lettering on the
back of a man's shirt at
church. How we pray for men
to rise up and be good
fathers and dads!
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
We realize there are many fine
ministries and causes requesting support
but if the Lord would lead you we surely need
and appreciate the financial support from our
readers and listeners.Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
Please Note:
We also provide this easy option due to the
convenience, for international supporters, and
for those who may not be concerned regarding
receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here
to send an offering using PayPal. This
will open to a page that states "Brooksyne
Weber"Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2019 Stephen
C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA